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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

I am excited to kick off kitchen month with a bang! And one of the most inspirational pantry makeovers I have seen to date. I know, that is putting this pantry on a major pedestal, but so much creativeness, thought and resourcefulness went into this makeover, I guarantee you will walk away with a smile!

Jenna from Jenna Sue Design, and her creative awesomeness are becoming quite the regular around here. I am so in love with all she does, I featured her smart filing system here and her beautiful entry here. And when I saw her most recent project, her pantry, I begged and pleaded for her to let me share this project as well!

On with the questions:

What is the main function of the space?

"To store our non-refrigerated/dry food in a way that every item has a place and is easily visible and reachable."

Any superstar tips for keeping it organized?

"Plan the layout in a way that makes sense for you; store the frequently used items within reaching distance and in a way that they can be quickly grabbed and put back into place. Utilize vertical space with tiers so everything is in full view without having to dig through to the back. Group similar items using bins and boxes that can be slid out for easy access."

What items did you find were essential in organizing the space, and why?

"The storage boxes were definitely needed to hold most of my items, but my absolute favorite part is the medicine cabinet. This allowed me to remove the top shelf and utilize the space up to the ceiling. Everything is in one row now so there's no digging around for things in the back. It's so useful! And with the new recessed lighting, we can finally see everything bright and clear."

What did you do to go the extra mile and "Make it Pretty"?

"I chose a color scheme {aqua, gray, yellow, white} and implemented it through paint, fabric, and accessories. I treated it like a mini version of any other room and made sure everything coordinated and fit the style I was going for."

What items did you DIY to stay on a budget?

"The shelving, curtain, and step stool."

How has this project impacted your life for the better?

"Cooking is a lot more fun now that everything is out in the open and I don't have to wonder about which ingredients are buried somewhere or missing! I'm also inspired to make sure everything stays organized and in its place. It's really easy to do now that there is a solid layout."

So let's take a moment to recap all of this smartness:

Medicine cabinet for her spice storage!? Genius! I adore when folks think of new uses for items!

Pretty lined shelves... always a winning idea!

Those pretty labels were made by Jenna! She made them on her computer and printed them onto sheets of round stickers.

The tiered can storage is built from 2x4's and painted yellow.

She placed less frequently used items up in the medicine cabinet, and everyday items within reach on the main shelves.

That amazing yellow stool, yeah, they built that with the help of some Ana White plans! DARLING!

I personally love that she replaced the standard bi-fold door with a curtain. Quicker and easier access to her items, and it offers a pretty softness to her kitchen!

You can find the entire post with all the DIY details and budget breakdown on her original post here. A giant THANK YOU to the darling Jenna for letting me share her beautiful project today!

How about a look at the before and after, so you can see what she started with:

So hard to believe it is the same closet. Major WOW factor happening!

OK, gotta go, my pantry is calling my name!

PSSSSST! In case you didn't know, Jenna runs a beautiful shop, Jenna Sue Design, which always makes my heart go pitter patter! So many great items, which can be personalized! And the sweet darling is offering YOU all 20% off everything in her shop, just in time for Valentine's Day!! Just enter IHEART20 at checkout from now through 2/9/13!

ATTENTION!! Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition? Have an awesome organizing story to share? I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life. Please submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!! Photos should be high resolution and unedited. Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better! Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice! Only love goes on at this blog!

Wow. I was lamenting my ugly pantry a couple weeks ago on my blog and the fact that the only organized bit is the treats bin for the dog (priorities right?). Our pantry is about 3 times this one - which just means 3 times to disorganized mess. I'd love to get rid of the wire shelves, which I hate, and get my dry goods into jars, pretty bins etc. one question though, with things like pasta, how do you remember cook times? Every pasta is a different time and there's no way I remember them all. Do you have a cheat sheet with the different brands/types and cooking times?

That's a good point! You know, after the first few times of cooking pasta I stopped looking at the box and just watch for it to be done. We can tell pretty easily when it's ready, and if there's a question we'll just sample a noodle :)

I used my craft punch to add a chalkboard Contact paper label to my jars and clear plastic containers so I can write down the cooking time. I chalk marker works perfectly and wipes clean with a damp paper towel.

This looks fabulous! I am wanting to redo my pantry. The wire shelving has to go. I hate the lip on the underside/front of the wire shelves. What a pain to get taller things in and out. Crock pot feet fall through and I hate cleaning it if something spills. While right now, mine is fairly organized, it could be better. Thanks for the inspiration!

This is beautiful. I think it would inspire me to enjoy preparing meals. I especially love the 2x4 stadium seating :-) I could cut to fit exactly my cupboard. and YES I would love to be featured as that would mean I have a beautiful organized space but alas, not so much ,LOL.

My pantry, if you can even call it that, is so small and awkward. I often open it, think about changing something,then run away and sulk. I would love to see what other people have done with really small spaces. This is beautiful though! I love everything about it!

My goodness, we must be thinking along the same lines because my post today was all about inspiring pantries! Thanks to your monthly challenges, I'm working on my kitchen this month. This one is so awesome, and looks so doable! I'm definitely adding this makeover to my Kitchen Organization Pinterest board.

That's amazing... my pantry currently looks exactly like the "before" photo :). Those soup tiers are so smart!! Many-a-can-o-soup in my pantry wind up expiring before I find them shoved in the back somewhere.

Hi Tiffany! I went to the original blog post to find all of the nifty steps and tricks to this AMAZING pantry. I also adored that blue box, & I found that she unexpectedly discovered it at the almighty Hobby Lobby that we all know and love! Hope this helps. (:

Wow, very nice job! I LOVE it! Your new pantry space looks amazing! I wish we had a pantry. Our apartment only offers a coat closet.. which we store goods at the very top. Especially since our cabinet space is limited.

I love this pantry! Mine is a similar size, but deeper, so I'm having my own organizing condundrums with it.

I'd like to ask Jenna Sue about the curtain: do you find it just as practical as the solid doors? I just worry about dirt, wrinkles, etc. We have a bi-fold door on our pantry too, and it isn't aesthetically pleasing, but I am nervous to try a curtain.

Thanks so much for the inspiration! I have purchased tiered shelves for my spice cupboard and didn't ever consider DIYing them. I will definitely put that project on my to-do list.

The doors were always open so there was really no point to them. They did block about 4" of space for pulling things out., so the curtain makes more sense. We haven't had any issues with stains on the curtain, but then again we have no kids with dirty fingers :) It works for us!

Hello from a uk reader. I fall in love with all the american houses i see on blogs. our houses over here seam so much smaller than yours, we dont have pantrys or laundry rooms and a lucky few get a utility room. I'm working hard to organise our house, but we have realy out groewn it since having 2 kids!

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This site contains advertising banners and occasional Amazon affiliate links. In the event that an Amazon affiliate link is used, I receive commission on the sale of the products. The affiliate program does not sway my decision of what products to use and share as I only feature items I would link to with or without an affiliate link.

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We love to share our personal projects and what "works for us", however, we cannot guarantee that those same projects will also work for you. No two homes or two spaces are considered the same. As the reader, you assume any risks involved when completing projects seen on this site. We are not personally liable for any projects that are completed based on the ideas and inspiration shared here.